Have you ever been so in the flow of life that everything was just going absolutely swimmingly? You woke up feeling great, the weather is perfect, your hair looks amazing, your kids made their own breakfast, your favorite song is on the radio, and you just can’t imagine feeling any happier!

But then, as you begin your daily dance with the other people in your circle, you begin to sense that maybe they aren’t on your cloud. Your smiley “Hello” is met with a grumble and frown, you’re internal groove that’s still vibing from your amazing morning is not being mirrored back to you whatsoever in the faces, words, or actions of those around you, and before you know it you, yourself, are feeling more and more murky and dismal, and headed full speed ahead into your own personal brand of funk.

How does this happen? How do we go from feeling on top of the world and ready to face the day with enthusiasm to being ready to climb back into bed and hit the reset button?

If you’ve read much of my writing or taken classes with me you hear me teach a lot about vibration and energy. Our energy and vibration or frequency are much like that of a radio frequency. When you get into your car and tune the dial into 88.5, you get, in return, the sounds (energy and vibration) of that frequency you’ve tuned into. You don’t expect to tune into your favorite country station’s frequency to hear death metal music projected back to you.

It’s the same with our daily lives; when we intentionally tune our energy, thoughts, and actions into the frequency of happiness, joy, and bliss then we start to hear, see, and experience those energies in our lives.

But just like your radio’s frequency can become muddled and interrupted by other radio signals, congestion in the airwaves, or the random CB of a trucker, your personal frequency can be interrupted or affected by the circumstances or people around you.

How can we prevent this from happening?

I have a practice that I call protecting my energy field. Firstly, every morning I intentionally start my day with a prayer and meditation, I will do the self care that I need to do in order to start the journey of an amazing day. Secondly, before I interact with anyone, while sipping my morning cup of bulletproof coffee, I will physically, with my hands, zip up an invisible zipper from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head, and say out loud “I zip up my energy, and protect myself from any negative energy I encounter.”

I then go through the motions of putting on a huge oversized coat and say aloud “I cloak myself with Love and compassion.”

Remember, my background is in the theatre arts and so I have a flair for dramatics! If this process is a bit too over the top for you that is fine; just find what works for you. Maybe, it’s just setting an intention that you won’t let the negative attitudes or actions of others pervade your own energy and experience.

However you choose to frame your process it’s important to protect your energy!

Thirdly, it’s wildly important to hold space for the other person whose energy you’re protecting yourself from. While it’s true that we don’t want their negative vibe bringing us down, we don’t want to fall into judging them either. The truth is, we don’t know what kind of day they are having. We don’t know what circumstance has caused their mood to be placed as such and so we should extend an energy of love and compassion their way in this time of whatever it is that is going on for them.

So next time you’re having a truly fabulous day, choose to intentionally guard yourself from anything that may kidnap your joy and bliss. Send love to all you encounter, and keep smiling as you move forward in your perpetual hunt for happiness!

Val White is a certified Life Coach and certified Yoga and Meditation teacher. Val can be reached by email at valvilangu@gmail.com or by phone at (818) 641-6245.